Jaded Skys
by Jedi Jesi Jiin
Summary: Luke and Mara one-shots, on-going series. Varied themes, all rated 'T' and under.
1. Arcade Madness

**Jaded Skys**

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_**A/N 1:**__Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm/Disney._

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_**A/N 2:**__ For the purpose of __this particular one-shot__, I am changing the ages of the Solo children. Call it artistic license._

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**Arcade Madness****:**

"…Happy Lifeday, dear Anakin!" a chorus of voices rang out against the din of the large arcade hall. "Happy Lifeday to… you!"

Mara cheered with the rest of her family as the youngest Solo child blew out his candles. She had to admit that Leia and Han had really done a great job so far in containing the madness Mara knew to be a child's lifeday party.

Mara drew her gaze over the small group of non-family children that also sat with the lifeday boy. Friends from his kindergarten class in school, Mara had been told. The children squirmed anxiously as they awaited their slice of Anakin's fancy cake.

Mara found herself drawn by the artsy creation done by Leia's favorite bakery. It was a tall round thing with fondant in bright green and yellow while a pair of banthas frolicked atop. She admired how realistic the entire thing looked, and felt the faint desire to meet someone who could do _that_ with food.

A nudge on her elbow brought her back to the present, and she glanced to her right to see Luke tilt his head toward Leia. Mara's gaze shifted and Leia spoke for what had to be the second time.

"I said would you like some cake?"

Mara realized with a small amount of chagrin that nearly half the cake had been dismantled during her reverie… and she hadn't noticed.

Clearing her throat, Mara stepped forward to take the proffered plate.

"Yes, thank you."

Luke also accepted a piece, and the couple retreated a safe distance from the rambunctious kids who were now in various stages of sugar-highs. Mara shook her head as she took a bite of the cake, letting the scrumptious morsels tickle her taste buds pleasantly.

She'd forgotten how much she loved a good cake.

"I don't know how Leia does it." Mara said around her bite.

Luke followed her gaze, and then chuckled. "Well, she is a master politician."

"That would work in her favor." Mara agreed, as she indulged in a second bite. "This is delicious."

"MmHmm." Luke replied as he spooned another helping into his mouth.

They turned as one at the sensation of raging excitement drawing rapidly closer. Anakin raced up to Luke, his face and hands still bearing signs of his dessert.

"Uncle Luke! Uncle Luke!"

"Yes, Anakin?"

"Come play with me!" Anakin pulled on Luke's arm, ignoring the fact that the Jedi Master was still trying to eat.

"Can I finish my cake first?" Luke asked as he attempted to take another bite.

"No!" Anakin tugged harder, and Luke sighed before putting his spoon aside. "Mommy said to find someone to take me to play the games!"

"Where's your father?"

"With Jaina playing the X-wing game." Anakin pouted. "And Mommy said she needs to start clean-up, and Chewie is with Jacen."

"Tell you what," Luke said, turning Anakin about. "Tell your mother to go play and I will clean."

Anakin mumbled something, but scampered off anyway.

"Eloquently handled, Master Skywalker." Mara commented around a growing smirk.

"Quiet, you." Luke nudged her shoulder playfully with his own.

He had just lifted a bite of cake to his lips when Anakin reappeared; his little face red, with small hands planted on his hips.

"Uncle Luke!" he whined. "Mommy said _you_ have to take me!"

Luke dropped his head briefly in defeat and shot his sister a look, but he set his plate aside. "Alright, little man, let's go play."

Despite his meal's interruption, something Mara knew to be a dangerous thing—one should be careful not to get in a Skywalker's way when food was involved—she could feel the affection and joy radiating from Luke.

Her husband loved playing with his sister's children, and they cherished him for it. Mara watched as the two of them melded with the crowd about the hall, taking her time to finish her own piece of cake.

After tossing her plate in the trash, Mara picked Luke's up, and grabbed him a second piece of cake before setting it aside.

Next she approached Leia, who was fussing over the table.

"You know, Anakin only turns six once." She said pointedly.

Leia looked up, startled at the words. "Excuse me?"

Mara steeled herself against Leia's indignation. "This can wait; and anyway, that's why this place has employees. Let them do their job while you spend time with your son."

"I was simply putting his gifts away." Leia said with dying acid in her tone.

Mara could feel her resignation as her sister-in-law looked from the mess to the various members of their family scattered helter-skelter in the arcade.

"Go." Mara urged. "Have some fun."

Leia offered a grateful smile, and dropped her task. Mara joined her in wandering over to where Anakin had Luke engaged in a game of roller-ball. The two of them were trying to best each other as their bright orange balls raced up the narrow ramp to fall into various holes.

Mara raised her eyebrows at Luke's higher score and had to wonder if he was using the Force. But then she chided herself: Luke would never cheat on his nephew like that.

The game ended and Anakin threw up his hands in delight as his final ball made it into the highest-point hole, gaining him the premier score after all was said and done. Luke gave him a high-five and that was when the women arrived.

"Mommy, did you see?" Anakin squealed. "I beat Uncle Luke!"

"Yes I did see!" Leia cheered. "Well done!"

Luke smiled warmly at Anakin, and ruffled his hair.

"I'll take over if you don't mind." Leia told her twin.

Luke kissed her cheek. "Not at all. Have fun."

Leia was instantly pulled away by her son, and that left the Skywalkers standing side by side.

"Would you like to play anything?" Luke held up a small cup. "I have a few tokens left over."

Mara lifted an eyebrow and then pursed her lips. "Let's see what's here."

Luke offered his hand; she entwined her fingers with his, and together they navigated the arcade. They were just about to give up when Mara's eyes fell upon a table in the corner. Two children were currently playing, and her interest was piqued.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Let's go see." Luke encouraged.

They stopped a few paces from the table and Mara caught sight of the game's name as the children darted about it.

"Repulsor hockey?" she read aloud.

"Ah!" Luke grinned. "I remember this game from Jacen and Jaina's party a few years back. You're supposed to use those hand-held pushers and hit the puck around the table. You want to get it into the opponent's goal. See that narrow open strip in the center of the table on each end?"

Mara nodded. "Sounds like fun."

"I loved it." Luke quipped.

"Well then, let's call next game, shall we?" Mara slipped two coins onto the side of the table near the token-slot.

The two Jedi watched with renewed vigor as the children finished their game and finally left. Mara claimed one end of the table and waited for Luke to insert their coins. The game clicked and the puck exited a slot on her end of the slab; Mara placed it in the center ring.

Luke took his pusher, and waited for her to signal readiness.

"Ladies first." Luke smirked.

Mara lifted a wry brow and gave the puck a hard shove toward Luke. He swiftly maneuvered his pusher to block the shot and the puck bounced from his end of the table to ricochet wildly about the length of the game until Mara knocked it back.

Luke nearly missed the thin puck as it rebounded off his own walls and slipped behind his hand. But he managed to swipe it to the left enough to where it evaded the goal-slot. He gave the puck a good shove and it was intercepted by Mara, who by now was formulating a strategy.

When Luke blocked her shot and sent it back at her, Mara feinted a blast to the right before quickly sending it left. Luke's brow shot up in surprise as the puck slipped by with centimeters to spare.

Mara crowed with delight as the game-piece clanked into the slot on Luke's end of the game.

"Good shot!" Luke complimented as he fished the puck from the slot.

He placed the disk on the table, and signaled readiness, Mara doing likewise. They battled fiercely for a full minute before Mara went wide on her parry and the puck whisked by to land a point for Luke.

He pounded the air with one fist, a grin lighting his face. "Yes!"

Mara decided it was time to up the ante. She placed the puck on the table and instantly fired it off. Luke shouted briefly in surprise and nearly missed the riposte as he recovered from his victory dance.

The puck veered sharply right and then slid easily across to stop in the center of the table. Mara reached it first as both she and Luke leaned over to take the shot.

"Ah!" she squeaked as the puck ended up caught between two pushers seconds later.

Luke chuckled and maneuvered his pusher and deftly moved the puck around her hand and under elbow. Mara was a split-second too slow to stop it from entering her goal. She glared at Luke, who now wore a triumphant half-smile.

A quick glance at the score board showed her that Luke was now winning two-to-one.

_Well, that's about to change._ Mara decided.

"What does this game stop at?" she asked as an after-thought.

"Five, I believe." Luke answered.

"Alright then, prepare to lose." Mara lifted her head defiantly.

Luke gestured for her to retrieve the puck and she again shot it off without warning, though this time he was prepared for that.

They danced about the board for an unknown length of time before Mara finally spotted a weakness in Luke's defense. Mara grinned evilly, and aimed the puck at an angle that would shoot it a sharp seventy degrees to aim for the rear of his pusher. Luke's arm twitched and instead of catching it, he ended up scoring for her as the game-piece was pushed along its same trajectory.

Mara lifted her head haughtily. "Two and two now, Farmboy."

Luke laughed and started the next round, his face falling into a mask of concentration as the puck once again traversed the playing field. They continued their game until the score was four on both sides.

By that time they were both sweaty and sore from jostling one another as they battled for repulsor-hockey superiority. But both of them were equally pleased at the great fun they were having.

The puck was placed on the table for the final round, and Mara gazed at Luke. "Loser gives the winner a full-massage."

"Deal." Luke nodded, and then had to fight to keep a naughty smile off his face. "I like Saneese oil…"

Mara gasped at his boldness, eliciting a hearty laugh from Luke as she shoved him lightly with the Force. Saneese oil was used in more… _romantic_ massages. The game commenced, and Mara decided that two could play Luke's new game.

When the puck came to her end of the table, she sent it intentionally near the center of the board. As Luke leaned in to take a shot, Mara sent him a mental image that made him turn beet red.

"Mara!" he squeaked as he tried to figure out if he should laugh or hide his face. "There are children about…" he finally choked out.

"Farmboy, it's not like anyone else can read our mental frequency." Mara snickered.

She could feel him deliberately cooling himself down after that one, and took advantage of his distraction. Clanking her pusher against the puck, she sent it toward Luke's goal. He barely blocked it, and Mara laid on the taunts, sending him another image. He swallowed hard and doubled his efforts to contain his desire.

"No fair!" he accused half-heartedly as Mara's tactic finally won her the game. "You cheated!"

Mara sidled up to him as she relinquished her end of the table. "Would you prefer to not do those things when we get home?" she asked huskily.

Luke stepped close, planting a passionate kiss on her lips.

_You know I want to._ He sent through their Force-bond.

"Way to go Aunt Mara!"

Both Luke and Mara jumped, breaking away to look down at Jaina's beaming face. And only then did they realize that at some point in their game they'd acquired a captive audience.

Jaina hugged Mara tightly; oblivious to the moment she'd just broken. Luke cleared his throat as his gaze traveled from face to face, some familiar, others simply onlookers who'd come to watch the Skywalkers duke it out in the arcade.

"You beat Uncle Luke!" Jaina went on. "Sorry Uncle Luke; you played good too, but I was betting on Aunt Mara winning."

Luke looked at her, and then released a tension-breaking laugh. Mara eyed him warily for a moment before his laughter became contagious and soon they were both chuckling. The crowd broke apart, and Luke followed Mara back to their table to help Leia gather Anakin's gifts.

An hour later they finally trudged through their front door, the night of Coruscant lit by millions of points of light in various shades of the color spectrum. Luke closed the door behind them and turned just as Mara pressed against him, wrapping slim arms about his waist.

"I do believe the deal was you give me a massage." She murmured seductively.

Luke ran his hand over her arms and slipped her blouse down from her shoulder. He then proceeded to shower her exposed skin with kisses.

"Hmm…" he moved to run his lips down her neck. "But you never said what kind of massage."

"Oh, I think you can come up with something, Farmboy." Mara breathed.

She sent him another image across their mental link, and this time Luke didn't hold back his desire.


	2. As I Sit Doubting

**As I Sit Doubting****:**

Luke parked the speeder with ease, stretching in the driver's seat for a moment before stepping out. It had been a long day of meetings and reports; of training Jedi and listening to their concerns and such.

And while he usually derived great pleasure from teaching, his last class had been difficult. He had begun to introduce his most recently advanced class to the more complex techniques involved in areas such as levitation and meditation. What was frustrating was that while many of the students were eager to improve their skill set, they did not yet have the patience to meditate the entire class period.

_That will come with time._ He reminded himself as he entered the lift that would take him to his floor.

The rising of the lift toward home reminded him why else his last class had been strained. For the last hour or so, he had been getting negative vibes from his wife. He had of course reached out to her in the Force, and had received in response her wish to be left alone, as well as a half-convincing assurance the issue was her hormones kicking in again.

Luke sighed quietly, knowing that his pregnant wife had been doing her best to manage her emotions since her hormones were indeed wreaking havoc. But there were days when they bested her.

Luke knew that there were times when even the former Emperor's Hand couldn't best Mother Nature.

He was worried that she had shut him out, though, which in his mind meant that something was really bothering her. But since she had specifically asked for space, he had given it to her, understanding that she wanted a chance to come to terms with her problem for herself.

When he reached the front door to their apartment, Luke felt about with his Force senses, and frowned when he caught a burst of sorrow from Mara.

He opened the door, and instantly cast his gaze about for her.

"Mara?" He called into the empty space.

He felt her instinctively withdraw, and then chide herself lightly before opening to him, giving him her location. Luke walked briskly to the refresher, where he stopped in the doorway at the sight before him.

Mara sat on the floor by the shower, wrapped only in a robe, and with her back to the wall. Her knees were drawn up, while her cheek rested on her folded hands atop them with her face turned away from him.

The sight tugged at his heart, and he moved to kneel beside her.

"Mara?"

She didn't answer, but he knew she heard him when she sniffled. Luke caressed the back of her head lovingly.

"Mara, what's the matter?" Luke was concerned. "Are you in pain? Is it the disease?"

Mara shook her head without lifting it, and still wouldn't look at him.

"Then what?" Luke pressed gently.

The silence stretched on, with Luke doing his best not to be hurt by her ignoring him. He blew out a quiet sigh.

"Love, I cannot help you if I don't know what's going on," he murmured, moving his hand from her head to touch her elbow.

He felt her stir again, slightly, and he thinned his lips. Refusing to let her be alone in such a state, Luke settled to the floor beside her, offering his silent support. They simply sat together; Luke not judging, but waiting for whenever she felt ready to speak.

At long last Mara turned to him, and snuggled against him, needful of his arms about her. He obliged willingly, enfolding his beloved wife in his embrace. When she tightened her hold on him and began to weep, Luke's concern grew.

But Mara didn't sob: she simply vented her pent-up sorrow. Luke sensed then what he hadn't before: doubt.

"Oh, Luke…" Mara murmured against his shoulder.

"I'm right here, Mar," Luke replied gently.

She took a shuddering breath, and he felt her collect herself again, though she remained secure in his arms. It was another long moment before she spoke again.

"Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"Do…" she paused uncertainly, and he sensed that whatever she was about to ask was the source of her doubts. "Will I be a good mother?"

Luke couldn't quite contain his surprise: of all the questions, he hadn't expected that one form her. He recovered quickly though, pulling her a little tighter to him.

"Of course you will." He answered firmly. "You will make a wonderful mother to our son."

Mara took his answer in with careful thought, though her unease didn't dissipate.

"Why do you ask?" Luke ventured.

"I… I don't know anything about children, Luke," Mara said. "You at least had practice with Leia's kids, plus with your already open nature and huge heart… you will be so good to our boy."

"As will you." He assured her.

"How can you know that?"

Luke kissed her head. "Because I know you, Mara: I know you inside and out. And despite the fact that you try to hide it form the galaxy in general, I know that deep inside is a loving, compassionate woman. And you love your family, which now includes this little guy."

He lightly tapped her belly. "And I know he will adore you just as much, if not more, than you will him."

"But…"

Luke shushed her gently.

"Mara, reach inside with me." He requested

He felt her mental question, but she opened herself to Luke in the Force and allowed him to lead her to where their son rested between her hips. Luke ever-so-gently took Mara's presence and caressed their son's tiny mind with it.

The answering touch was still primal in its infancy, since their child was still developing, but there was absolutely no denying the sensation of the child wrapping his fingers about Mara's pinky finger. There was also a distinct feeling of utter love and trust from child to mother.

That was when it happened: Mara's walls crumbled and Luke felt her resolve to protect this child with every breath she took. She promised their son all her love and more, and that she would be a listening ear, and a firm hand when needed. Already, images came to their shared minds of Mara cradling their infant to her chest. Of feeling his chest rise and fall as he snuggled to her heart, listening in turn to its familiar comforting beat.

He felt her resolve to always be there for the child, and to put him first. Mara would catch him when he fell, or help him back up. She promised not to judge him needlessly, and that she was willing to sacrifice her very self if it meant he got to live.

After a time Luke carefully pulled away, taking Mara with him, though she lingered a heartbeat more. Luke opened his eyes first, and Mara clung tightly to him again, her tears no longer sorrowful, but joyous.

"_That_ is why you will make a wonderful mother, my dearest Mara," Luke whispered.

He felt her smile against him. Luke rested his head against her hair and held her, fully prepared to do so until she asked him to let go.


	3. Specially Ruined Homecoming

**Specially Ruined Homecoming****:**

Mara Jade Skywalker stood before the stove, apron on and wooden spoon in hand as she watched her sauce simmer. Beside the pot of paste was a larger pan holding what would soon be boiling water.

All her ingredients had already been carefully measured and set aside for the proper time to be used. Mara watched the sauce's base begin to thicken, and so she started carefully adding the remaining ingredients just like the recipe called for.

Then, satisfied that her creation was well in hand, Mara turned to the pasta and slipped it into the now-torrid water. She covered it, reduced the heat, and then breathed a sigh. She was far from the galaxy's best chef, but Mara wanted to create a special evening for her Farmboy, and she was determined to succeed.

Dinner was well under way: now to tidy up the rest of the apartment she and Luke shared on Coruscant. They had been married for just over a year now, and Mara's long jaunts away from her husband were really beginning to wear her down.

She wished she could be done already, so she didn't have to be away from her beloved Luke for weeks at a time. It was hard on them both, she knew, but Luke rarely— if ever— complained about her long absences. He poured himself into his work with the Jedi while she was gone, and then made the most of their time together when she returned.

Mara loved him for his support, and while she refused to simply let Karrde hang, she truly wished that her time with his organization was over.

Shaking out of her reverie, Mara looked about the apartment. She'd only been back since that morning; carefully timing her return so she could surprise him after work today.

Mara ran a finger over the nearby table, noting how dusty it was. Coming to a decision, Mara grabbed some cleaning supplies and began to wipe down all the surfaces. True, a cleaning droid could do this, but she just felt like doing the chores for herself.

She wanted her husband to come home to a clean home, a warm home-cooked meal, and a wife who'd just returned. She could already picture the wonderful evening in her mind: an elegant table set for two, low lighting with soft music playing in the background... and of course some much-missed lovemaking with her husband.

A soft smile touched her lips as her body reacted in kind to that line of thinking; however her train of thought was interrupted by the spit and hiss of something in the kitchen.

Mara's heart skipped a beat and she dropped her current task to race for the kitchen, wondering what was going awry. She discovered that her pasta was over-boiling, even with the lid off, and she lifted the pan from the heat to let the bubbles go down.

They did so, and Mara reduced the heat again; stirring the pot and testing the noodles. They weren't done yet, so she carefully cleaned the excess water from the stovetop and then stirred her sauce.

After a moment of watching her dinner for any other mishaps, Mara returned to her cleaning. She checked the chrono. Luke would be home in two hours if his day was running its usual course.

That left her plenty of time to finish cleaning up, getting dinner set, and then showering and changing. Anticipation caused Mara to fly through sweeping the floors and vacuuming carpets. Soon she was filling a bucket with mop water, tapping her feet to music only she could hear.

She was so caught up in her tasks and wandering thoughts again that she nearly missed the scent of something burning. Mara snapped to attention the second her nostrils registered it, and with a gasp she again flew to the kitchen, where she could see small amounts of dark smoke trailing out the doorway.

"No!" Mara cried in horror as she realized that her sauce was the source of the smoke.

She grabbed the handle of the pan without thinking and promptly shrieked when the metal seared her palm. Mara dropped the pan out of base instinct and cradled her throbbing hand even as the sauce pan tipped, spilling much of the contents onto the still-activated stove.

Immediately it began to bubble and singe, creating more smoke. Mara leapt forward to turn off the heat, having the presence of mind to also turn off the pasta, and she watched with sinking spirits as her once-perfect sauce continued to ruin itself on the stove. Mara activated the fans and opened the windows to relieve the room of the smoke before she set off an alarm.

Finally, her throbbing hand was too much for her, and she reached for the freezer to grab an icepack...

That was when she recalled the mop water, and she cursed, dropping her hand and rushing back to the refresher. Mara spotted a growing puddle of water and growled in frustration, trying not to slip as she waded through the mini-lake that was now the refresher floor.

She slapped the water off none-too-gently, and in her anger she used her injured hand, which only caused her _more _agony. She was rapidly drawing close to tears, and as she back-stepped blindly, Mara ended up slipping in the puddle and fell awkwardly.

Mara swore up and down the dictionary even as she climbed, water dripping from her in a torrent, back to her feet and wandered out to the edge of the puddle, which was now seeping into the front room. She held up her hands, the burnt one shaking uncontrollably, and bit her lip hard.

And, of course, _that_ was when the door opened.

Mara felt a surge of surprise as Luke walked through to find the house in shambles, and his wife standing in the middle of it all.

"Mara?" he gaped, as if unable to believe his eyes. She had been shielding herself from him, after all, so her surprise would remain one.

Mara couldn't help it any longer: she hiccupped a sob and collapsed to the floor, burying her face in her uninjured hand.

"Mara!" Luke was by her side in a flash, ignoring the mess and seeking only to comfort her.

He gathered her close, cradling her head to his heart. Mara grabbed him into a tight hold and wept into his chest, her shoulders shaking. Luke held her without complaint, letting her cry while he rocked her gently or rubbed her back soothingly.

Finally she stopped and simply clung to him. Luke eventually pulled back when he realized she was trembling.

"Mara, Love, are you alright?" Luke eyed her in concern.

Mara nodded glumly, eyeing her red hand, which still hurt deeply. Luke followed her line of sight and gasped, taking her limb in his with utter care. He didn't even ask for permission: he simply ran tender fingertips along the burn and Mara felt instant relief as Luke soothed and healed her.

Only when the red was gone, as well as any lingering pain did he stop, though he did not release her. He lifted his free hand to touch her face, caressing her cheek.

"I wanted to surprise you with a clean house and dinner," Mara spoke before he could ask, looking down. "I'm not a cook by any means, but I wanted to do this for you. But I kept getting sidetracked... and, well I lost track of time, and things just went to hell."

Luke glanced about the apartment, feeling his love for this wonderful woman only increase. "You did all of this for me?"

Mara lifted her head with a slight frown. "Of course: I love you."

Luke's smile could have lit half of the Imperial Palace. "Thank you, Love."

Mara's frown turned to a scowl. "You're thanking me for burnt food and a water-logged apartment?"

"No," Luke corrected with a tender finger-tap to her nose. "I am thanking you for your big heart, and that you would do this just because you love me."

Mara snorted, though her lips had turned up into a small smirk. "All the good it did me."

He kissed her forehead. "Mara, _any_ time spent with you is the perfect moment. I don't care what we do, so long as we're together."

Mara's smirk grew into a smile. "You're such a sap sometimes, Farmboy."

"I try." He winked and Mara rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a temperate laugh.

Luke bit his cheek in thought as her mood again darkened, eyeing the puddle that now had them both wet. They would have to change clothes...

Abruptly he grinned, with Mara catching on to his sudden mood-shift.

She looked up, and he winked at her. "Tell you what; this can still be a great evening."

Mara lifted a brow. "You don't say?"

Luke nodded. "We're wet, the apartment needs to be cleaned, _so_... let's _clean_ it..."

Mara looked both puzzled at his logic, and worried at his mental state. "Gee, what a _romantic_ evening you've cooked up there Farmboy."

Luke was unperturbed, continuing with his line of thought. "... and the last one done cleaning their area is naked first."

Mara blinked. "What?"

Luke grinned mischievously. "Ready, set... go!"

He hopped up and began to grab any towels he could find. Mara stared at him agape for long seconds.

He was serious. He was _actually_ serious...

"Time's running out, Love..." Luke taunted good-naturedly, eyeing her with wagging eyebrows. "I can't wait for your strip-show..."

Mara barked a laugh, feeling his challenge and cheer banish her dour mood. This was her Farmboy alright: take any bad thing and somehow turn it upside down. And Mara Jade Skywalker was never one to turn down a challenge...

"We'll just see about that, Farmboy." Mara returned, also getting up and scrambling to gain the lead.

She grabbed the mop and began to direct the water toward the drain in the refresher shower. She looked up a few minutes into her task and saw that her husband would still win at this rate... and that was when she hit upon an idea.

He never laid any _rules_ down...

She snuck over and began taking away his towels, ringing them back out in silence upon his part of the floor. Mara then chucked the towels into the kitchen as he emerged from wringing out his current batch in the shower.

Luke stopped short when Mara nonchalantly turned back to her task. He eyed her suspiciously, and Mara gave him her best innocent look. He of course wasn't fooled, and looked about the floor.

"Hey!" he chuckled indignantly. "You _cheated!_"

Mara placed a hand to her heart. "Would I do that?"

"Yes," Luke growled playfully, "you would."

Mara laughed as he approached her, forgetting their task.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she chortled, eyeing him warily.

"You cheated, so now I am getting revenge..." Luke replied sweetly.

Mara casually turned back to her task, feigning indifference. "You're about to lose Farmboy."

"Oh," he whispered as he caught her about the waist. "I don't think I am..."

Mara felt her breath come in shorter gasps as he began to caress her exposed neck with soft lips. The task-oriented portion of her brain swirled in sudden disorientation, trying to take back over even as the rest of Mara responded with surprising urgency to her husband's ministrations.

She told the stoic part of her brain off and spun in Luke's arms, grabbing his face and smashing her lips to his. She hadn't seen her husband in six weeks: the work could wait... she _needed_ him: she wanted him so badly it almost hurt.

Luke met her urgency with equal fervor, and thus the few decorations that adorned their living room wall rattled with the force of their impact as they backed into it.

The passion was white-hot between them, and hands flew over each other, removing clothing in record time before Luke lifted Mara off her feet. He was about to take them to the bedroom when Mara demanded him _now_.

So instead he carefully laid her out on the large accent-carpet— a tiny part of Mara's brain registered that it had somehow remained dry— and moved atop her.

Mara drew him ever closer and opened herself to him in the Force, letting their souls merge into one as Luke took her to heights of utter bliss.

**00000**

Sometime later, husband and wife lay spooned together, ignoring all else but each other as their bodies rested from their lovemaking.

"I missed you, Luke," Mara murmured, feeling his arms tighten about her in response. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Love." Luke kissed her head, freeing one hand from its position on her waist so he could run it through her red-gold mane. He loved touching her hair; loved feeling it slip between his fingers like the finest silks the galaxy had to offer.

Mara shuddered at his touch and turned to face him, bringing her face to his and sharing a kiss with him. One embrace of the lips became a series of tender kisses, and Mara brought her hand around to the back of his head.

They broke apart only when Luke's stomach grumbled, and he grimaced in embarrassment. Mara snorted laughter, resting her forehead against his even as he shrugged sheepishly.

"I think we'd best get you fed, Farmboy." Mara teased, watching him grin.

They helped each other up, and Luke retrieved their robes from the bedroom, handing Mara hers.

"Thank you," Mara said as she drew the soft fabric over her frame and tied the sash.

Luke followed her into the kitchen, where Mara stopped short. "Oh. I forgot..."

Feeling Mara's good mood threatened again, Luke stepped forward and eyed the contents of the pans.

"This smells wonderful, Mara," he complimented, and Mara sensed his honesty. "We can still make a meal out of this."

He grabbed up a pair of plates and spooned pasta onto both, then carefully scooping out what was left of the sauce and drizzling it atop the noodles. He looked to the vegetables she'd set out but never gotten to, and Mara watched as he washed and cut strips off, placing them next to the pasta.

Mara took her cue and grabbed drinks and glasses. Luke set the plates atop their table and Mara joined him. He waited for her to pour their beverage before smiling at her.

"This was the best homecoming ever, Mara," Luke told her, reaching across the table to take her hand.

Mara's throat closed with emotion and she squeezed his hand. "Oh, my sweet, loving Farmboy..."

Luke caressed her knuckles with her thumb even as he did so in the Force. Mara turned her palm up and entwined their fingers.

"You are so good to me, Luke," she whispered.

"Just returning the favor," he replied before letting go.

Mara watched him sample the food, feeling her heart soar when his eyes lit up and he eagerly delved in for more. There were days when she felt she didn't deserve a husband like Luke, but she knew that was just lingering wisps of her time in Palpatine's service.

Banishing any negativity firmly into the depths of the ninth Sith hell where they belonged, Mara ate her culinary creation as well.

A perfect homecoming indeed.


End file.
